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Vox experts : Can an AC15 sound like an AC30 ?


newstrat60

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help.

i'm thinking about getting a good AC15, like the recent white stack (head+combo anniversary).

for rock purposes only. think the Stones 1969 or Iggy&the Stooges "Raw Power".

I dont need an ac30, way too loud for me.

 

I may use it at low volumes, clean with a good OD, or, if its a model with a master vol, help myself with it.

 

for the moment, I have a Blues Jr. Will an ac15 be a real improvement ?

 

speak on. I have this sound in my head...

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Wait a minute, now I've only heard an AC15cc once, but it certainly sounded like the top boost channel of my AC30tbx to me. The Heritage version newstrat is looking at could only be an overall improvement over the CC I heard, not to mention the EF86 would bring the Normal Channel-like rawk.

 

Around the house, which is where I think you're using this, an AC30 is complete and utter overkill. It earns it's coin with a band, where the AC15 just runs out of clean headroom, the AC30 takes over and easily holds up to providing punchy cleans with a hard drummer.

 

edit ... Also, be aware, you'd be hard pushed to hear a volume difference between the AC15 and AC30, it's more of a headroom and slightly bigger sound difference. You will need a master volume or attenuator to get any use from either amp at reasonable home volumes.

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Wait a minute, now I've only heard an AC15cc once, but it certainly sounded like the top boost channel of my AC30tbx to me. The Heritage version newstrat is looking at could only be an overall improvement over the CC I heard, not to mention the EF86 would bring the Normal Channel-like rawk.


Around the house, which is where I think you're using this, an AC30 is complete and utter overkill. It earns it's coin with a band, where the AC15 just runs out of clean headroom, the AC30 takes over and easily holds up to providing punchy cleans with a hard drummer.


edit ... Also, be aware, you'd be hard pushed to hear a volume difference between the AC15 and AC30, it's more of a headroom and slightly bigger sound difference. You will need a master volume or attenuator to get any use from either amp at reasonable home volumes.

 

 

 

very useful, man, thanks...

maybe should I check boutiques clones with master vol, like Hayseeds everyone seem to rave about...

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There's little point in buying the amp in search of cranked Vox tones and not having something to tame the output. The 5w setting on my Cornell 18w Plexi is too loud at 1.5 on the dial for home use, a damn Nano head from zvex was almost too loud when cranked through a 2x12 of Blues!

 

I've had negative experiences with attenuators and my AC30, so I'm hesitant to suggest that option, but many others use them and do just fine. There's also the power scaling route, although it's tougher to find outside of boutique builders. If you're importing, Reeves Amps make plenty of power scaled options from 5w to 100w, all reasonably priced and with top notch workmanship.

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very useful, man, thanks...

maybe should I check boutiques clones with master vol, like Hayseeds everyone seem to rave about...

 

 

Do it! That way, you get the volume of a 15 with the normal channel of the 30. And you can add the EF86 option which brings the rock in spades!

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tempting... but having an ac30 clone in my living room... mmm... dunno

 

 

Is it as insane as it sounds? Yes! Think of how much you're paying and what percentage of the end product you'll be able to use.

 

Do you share your walls with other neighbours? Appartment, attached house? How loud will you be able to play this amp most of the time?

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Is it as insane as it sounds? Yes! Think of how much you're paying and what percentage of the end product you'll be able to use.


Do you share your walls with other neighbours? Appartment, attached house? How loud will you be able to play this amp most of the time?

 

 

appartement. pretty well isolated, but I use my blues Jr on "2,5" and my Box of Rock is the preamp.

Volume knob and fuzz are my voicing/dirt options from there.

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If you order a Hayseed 15 watter, in your situation I'd order the head version with the half power option that can pull it down to 7 watts. Then you can buy whatever cabinet you want, be it a 1x12", a 2x12" etc. An AC30 would be serious overkill in your situation.

 

 

Good advice, as an owner of two EL84 combos I'd also point out that microphonic valves ring through those amps with no mercy. Having them in a head and not two inches from the speaker is a good idea.

 

Even though you wouldn't be causing serious vibrations at home volumes, so the tubes should last, you will be cranking it and reducing the output so tube rattles could be an issue relative to the amp's volume.

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^^

I'm ordering a Hayseed (finally!) in the next month or so and settled on the head as the best option. For home use, somethign small is what I want. The Cornell Romany Plus I used to have and miss was great for home playing with the lower watt switch in play. Having that on an AC15 in the form of the Hayseed would be fabulous. If I take it out for gigs then I hook it up to a 2x12" nice and easy. The Hayseed offers the flexibility I want to go from home to the stage. It'll be worth the wait once I get it ordered.

 

Totally agree on the microphonics front. The Ceriatone DC30 I've just sold was mounted in a 2x12" cabinet rather than a seperate head. The EF86 valve on that vibrated badly and the JJ GZ34 it came with was suffering too.

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If you order a Hayseed 15 watter, in your situation I'd order the head version with the half power option that can pull it down to 7 watts. Then you can buy whatever cabinet you want, be it a 1x12", a 2x12" etc. An AC30 would be serious overkill in your situation.

 

 

There is no half power switch on the 15, only the 30. What the half power switch does, is turn off 2 of the tubes. Being a "push-pull" amp, if you turned of 1 of the tubes in a 15, only half the signal would be amplified and the amp wouldn't work.

Amps like the mesa lonestar special reconfigure the way the power-amp works using relays and other complicated things! I asked Rob about doing this, but he said it would be too much effort, for too little return. The master volume on the Hayseeds would get you 99% of the way there.

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Theahead and Heartfeltdown, thanks a lot... I'm very interested in the '15w' head option with the scaling power down to 7 option.

 

Watch this : the AC15 head heritage has such an option "power scale down to 7,5w".

 

http://www.voxamps.co.uk/heritagecollection/ac15H_head_and_cab.asp

 

sounds nice, uh ?

 

The Hayseed head 15w would be the other option, but it's from the US right ? dunno about shipping it oversea...

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There is no half power switch on the 15, only the 30. What the half power switch does, is turn off 2 of the tubes. Being a "push-pull" amp, if you turned of 1 of the tubes in a 15, only half the signal would be amplified and the amp wouldn't work.

Amps like the mesa lonestar special reconfigure the way the power-amp works using relays and other complicated things! I asked Rob about doing this, but he said it would be too much effort, for too little return. The master volume on the Hayseeds would get you 99% of the way there.

 

 

 

thanks, so the options seem Hayseed head with MV, or Vox head with power scaling to 7,5...

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Heritage is made in China, all Vox amps are these days. They're a sort of pcb/handwired hybrid, but seem reliable and are pleasing lots of owners. In the 7.5w mode, you'd still need to use a pedal as a preamp for some grit at home volumes, or an attenuator.

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The Hayseed head 15w would be the other option, but it's from the US right ? dunno about shipping it oversea...

 

 

Shipping mine over was fine - Rob (The guy who makes them) packages them up really well.

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Heritage is made in China, all Vox amps are these days. They're a sort of pcb/handwired hybrid, but seem reliable and are pleasing lots of owners. In the 7.5w mode, you'd still need to use a pedal as a preamp for some grit at home volumes, or an attenuator.

 

 

good, good information... thanks boys... now i gotta try the heritage, in any case it will help me to understand how could sound the Hayseed...

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Hey its funny that you are apparently from UK and you buy a brit amp clone from the USA
:)

 

Indeed, but it's the same price as a now Chinese made amp and better built with more options that I want, and less that I don't! Makes sense to me anyway:freak:

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Indeed, but it's the same price as a now Chinese made amp and better built with more options that I want, and less that I don't! Makes sense to me anyway:freak:

 

 

shipping included, how much was your Hayseed 15 head ? and with cab ?

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